Global Studio worked in the inner city neighbourhood of Zeyrek, a World Heritage site inhabited by many migrant groups and characterised by poverty and ethnic tensions. Global Studio partnered with the Istanbul Technical University and the Middle East Technical University, and was guided by Istanbul academics and professionals in the site selection.

Working in the ITU studios, some 70 students as well as academics and professionals from 25 countries carried out research and design explorations in small groups. Turkish and international mentors provide guidance, and participants developed a range of projects about: community gardens, integrating neighbourhoods, income generation strategies, women’s centre, and a children’s playground.

One of the most successful outcomes was a children’s playing field and mural, a project led by Istanbul architect Cengiz Bektas. Children, Global Studio and the local municipality worked together to create a level glass and rock free surface for children to play that summer. A swing was erected, and children painted a 50 m x 1.5 m mural along the edge of the field. Design proposals for Zeyrek were presented at the UIA Congress with feedback from Charles Correa, Moshe Safdie, Michael Sorkin, Cameron Sinclair, Lars Reutersward and Femi Majekodunmi. Global Studio made an open-air presentation in front of the Camil Mosque to the Zeyrek community. The film, ‘Global Studio Istanbul’ was shown in Zeyrek, at talks by GS participants, and as part of an exhibit at the 2005 Millennium Project Summit at the United Nations in New York. Istanbul was chosen for the first Global Studio because it was the site of the International Union of Architects Congress.

Global Studio mounted four days of conference proceedings within the Congress on ‘People Building Better Cities’ the first of several conferences by that name. Speakers were drawn from practitioners around the world who had worked collaboratively with community groups.